About
Erik Ryen is a political scientist and Professor of Social Studies at Oslo Metropolitan University. His interests include curriculum theory, Bildung centred Didaktik and educational policy analysis. Ryen is especially interested in how the relation between knowledge, education and democracy in understood within policy development at the national and international level. His publications feature in journals including the European Educational Research Journal (EERJ) and the Journal of Curriculum Studies (JCS).
Field of study
Democracy Didactics Education policy Curriculum theory Didactics for the social sciences
Research projects
Completed research projects
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Critical thinking in primary education
KriT is an interdisciplinary project aiming at developing educational models for critical thinking in primary education using children’s literature and news.
Publications and research
Scientific publications
Jegstad, Kirsti Marie
;
Heggernes, Sissil Lea
;
Jøsok, Evy
;
Ryen, Erik
;
Svanes, Ingvill Krogstad
;
Tørnby, Hilde
(2025).
Approaches to critical thinking in primary education classrooms: A systematic review.
Educational Research Review.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2025.100711
Tørnby, Hilde
;
Ryen, Erik
(2025).
‘She is Not the King.’ Starting Point Activities to Foster Critical Thinking in Primary Classrooms.
Jegstad, Kirsti Marie; Bjørkvold, Tuva; Andersson-Bakken, Emilia (Ed.).
Enacting Critical Thinking in Primary School. Perspectives from the Classroom. p. 174-191.
Universitetsforlaget.
https://doi.org/10.18261/9788215069678-25-08
Ryen, Erik
;
Jegstad, Kirsti Marie
(2022).
It is like a hammer and toothbrush; you need it for the rest of your life’ – Five Norwegian teachers’ experiences of working at a ‘thinking school.
Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education (NJCIE).
Vol. 6.
https://doi.org/10.7577/njcie.4347
Ryen, Erik (2021). Valg av fagstoff og progresjon som didaktiske utfordringer i samfunnsfag. Erdal, Silje Førland; Granlund, Lise (Ed.). Samfunnsfagdidaktikk. p. 44-66. Universitetsforlaget.
Ryen, Erik
;
Jøsok, Evy
(2021).
Citizenship-as-knowledge: How perspectives from Bildung-centred Didaktik can contribute to European Citizenship Education beyond competence.
European Educational Research Journal.
Vol. 22.
https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041211045777
Bjørkvold, Tuva
;
Ryen, Erik
(2021).
Exploring the perceived learning of ‘students as researchers’ through two theoretical lenses.
Journal of Curriculum Studies.
Vol. 53.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2021.1881168
Jegstad, Kirsti Marie
;
Ryen, Erik
(2020).
Bærekraftig utvikling som tverrfaglig tema i grunnskolens naturfag og samfunnsfag – en læreplananalyse.
Norsk pedagogisk tidsskrift.
Vol. 104.
https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.1504-2987-2020-03-07
Ryen, Erik (2020). Klasseledelse og kritisk tenkning i samfunnsfag. Christensen, Hanne; Ulleberg, Inger (Ed.). Klasseledelse, fag og danning. 2.utgave. p. 242-259. Gyldendal Akademisk.
Ferrer, Marlen ; Jøsok, Evy ; Ryen, Erik ; Wetlesen, Annika ; Aas, Per Anders (2019). Hva er kritisk tenkning i samfunnsfag?. Ferrer, Marlen; Wetlesen, Annika (Ed.). Kritisk tenkning i samfunnsfag. p. 11-29. Universitetsforlaget.
Ryen, Erik (2019). Nyheter og kritisk tenkning i samfunnsfag. Ferrer, Marlen; Wetlesen, Annika (Ed.). Kritisk tenkning i samfunnsfag. p. 69-87. Universitetsforlaget.
